DULLNESS PREVENTS `BACKWARDS' FROM MOVING FORWARD.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic They coo, they bicker bick·er intr.v. bick·ered, bick·er·ing, bick·ers 1. To engage in a petty, bad-tempered quarrel; squabble. See Synonyms at argue. 2. . He drinks, she breaks down. He triumphs, she overcomes. And together they dance. Often and rather well. Jim Henry's play ``Backwards in High Heels high heels high npl → talons hauts, hauts talons high heels high npl → hochhackige Schuhe pl ,'' in its world premiere Noun 1. world premiere - (music) the first public performance (as of a dramatic or musical work) anywhere in the world performance, public presentation - a dramatic or musical entertainment; "they listened to ten different performances"; "the play ran for 100 at the Road Theatre, examines one couple's ``dance of life.'' The title phrase is uttered late in the evening, and it lands just about as patly and soggily as the play that contains it. Seven years ago, the Road scored a hit with Henry's play ``The Angel of Lemnos,'' directed -- as ``Backwards'' is -- by Ken Sawyer. ``Backwards in High Heels,'' capably performed though it may be, is no grand reunion. It's a rather perfunctory state-of-a-union play that depends mightily -- as such dramas will do -- on the charisma of its leading performers. We witness the 60-plus-year relationship between Michael Angelo Michael Angelo can refer to:
n. 1. One employed in managing a Newcastle keel; - called also keelman ltname>. 2. A small or shallow tub; esp., one used for holding materials for calking ships, or one used for washing dishes, etc. (played by Michael Dempsey Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and new wave bands including The Cure and the Associates. Although best known as the original bassist for The Cure, he has played bass for longer, and appeared on more releases from both ) and Genevieve Horner Keeler (Taylor Gilbert) via a series of disjointed snapshots. Gen announces, fairly early in the game, the date of her own death and her husband's. We're present at their first meeting and first bedroom romp. They invite us along on road trips, to dance competitions and let us sit in on some tragic moments as well. That Michael and Gen are an unremarkable couple is, apparently, what Henry and Sawyer see as the play's universal point of connection. These people are us, in other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently . Or else their friends, family and in-laws are. And while there's no dishonor To refuse to accept or pay a draft or to pay a promissory note when duly presented. An instrument is dishonored when a necessary or optional presentment is made and due acceptance or payment is refused, or cannot be obtained within the prescribed time, or in case of bank collections, in peopling a dramatic canvas with the ordinary, the Road typically aims higher. Michael and Gen also have the misfortune to be bland, and bland characters are no company. Gilbert, Dempsey and ensemble members Shauna Bloom and Shaun O'Hagan infuse in·fuse v. 1. To steep or soak without boiling in order to extract soluble elements or active principles. 2. To introduce a solution into the body through a vein for therapeutic purposes. what appeal they can muster, but Henry's script doesn't really permit us to feel strongly, pro or con, for Michael or Gen. He's a charmer charm·er n. 1. One that charms, especially a disarmingly attractive person. 2. One who casts spells; an enchanter or magician. Noun 1. , a plumber's apprentice who can fix things, sell things and -- when the spirit moves him -- write a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Her sole stated ambition is to be a mommy and, ultimately, to feel less intimidated by her husband's successes. They are, despite life's road bumps, perfectly matched. So what's the journey? Gen faces the sharper stab of dissatisfaction, and Gilbert sails the character right on through. The actress gives us plenty of humor and spirit, and when Gen is dubiously forced to make some difficult decisions, Gilbert makes it convincing. Dempsey, a late substitution for previously cast Sam Anderson Sam Anderson is an American actor from Wahpeton, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. During the 1970s, Sam taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California. He married in 1985 and is the father of twins. , nails Michael's charisma more easily than his self-absorption. He also gets all of the cute wisdom and has to utter endearments that no user of the English language should have to speak. Bloom and O'Hagan smoothly and busily fill in ``Backwards''' extra characters, enacting people who are both realistic (the Keelers' son-in-law and granddaughter) and sketchy (the wise old dancing couple). Curiously, it's in some of these lesser-seen roles that the two supporting actors demonstrate dramatic shading that Gilbert and Dempsey's central performances lack. There's no faulting the Road's always reliable technical team. Set designer Desma Murphy has meticulously crafted a split-scene rendering of the Keelers' attic home with plenty of homey prop touches (by Jay Christian P. Africa) and functional space for other locales. Jeremy Pivnick's lighting and Caryn Drake's costumes further enhance the look of things. Would that the team had a more substantial product to dress up. Evan Henerson, (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS - Two stars Where: Road Theatre Company, 5108 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; through July 29. Tickets: $25. (866) 811-4111 or visit www.roadtheatre.org. In a nutshell: A likable couple struggles to stay happy and remain likable. Performances likable; play boring. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Clockwise from top left, Shauna Bloom, Shaun O'Hagan, Michael Dempsey and Taylor Gilbert in the Road Theatre Company's production of ``Backwards in High Heels.'' |
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